Artist's impression of the MLP concept. (Image: General Dynamics NASSCO)

08:16 GMT, January 20, 2012 SAN DIEGO | General Dynamics NASSCO hosted a keel laying ceremony Jan. 19 for the first Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) ship at the company's shipyard in San Diego. Mrs. Pat Mills was the honoree for the ceremony. She is the wife of U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant General Richard P. Mills, Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration.

Mrs. Mills validated the keel laying by welding her initials into the ship's structure. The steel plate with her initials will be permanently affixed to the ship's keel, remaining with the vessel throughout its time in service.

Delivery of the first MLP ship is scheduled for May 2013. The 765-foot long ship will be used as staging areas for the Navy and Marines. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus recently announced that this first MLP ship will be named Montford Point, for the North Carolina facility where 20,000 African American Marines were trained over seven years, starting in 1942.

"In today's challenging fiscal environment, shipbuilders must continue to provide our Navy customer with competitive pricing and fair value," said Fred Harris, president of General Dynamics NASSCO. "With the Mobile Landing Platform, NASSCO is meeting that challenge once again. The Navy and Marines will be getting a ship with significant capability at approximately one-third the cost of the Navy's original plan."

One initiative that NASSCO employed with this ship was to incorporate a "design-build" approach into all phases of design and planning development. The "design-build" approach included the assignment of the company's most experienced shipbuilders within functional engineering and detail design teams. These teams played an important role in developing build strategy initiatives that are improving the ship's readiness for construction, making MLP among the most producible designs in NASSCO's history.

Once delivered to the fleet, MLP ships will join the three Maritime Prepositioning Force squadrons that are strategically located around the world to enable rapid response in a crisis. MLP vessels will change the way the Maritime Prepositioning Force operates, providing a "pier at sea," that will become the core of the Navy/Marine Corps sea basing concept. This capability will allow prepositioning ships to offload equipment and supplies to the MLP for transshipment to shore by other vessels.

Lockheed Martin's AH-1Z Targeting System Makes First Operational Deployment with the U.S. Marine Corps

ORLANDO, Fla. | Lockheed Martin's Target Sight System (TSS) for the AH-1Z Cobra attack helicopter deployed operationally for the first time with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) as part of the Amphibious Squadron 5.

Lockheed Martin's TSS is the fire control system for the AH-1Z Cobra. The TSS integrates sensors to provide aviators with superior imagery through a highly stabilized sensor suite that includes a laser designator, color TV camera and third-generation, mid-wave, forward-looking infrared sensor with advanced image processing.

"This first deployment of the AH-1Z Cobra with the 11th MEU expands the presence of the TSS in combat operations," said Joseph Butera, senior program manager of airborne systems in Lockheed Martin's Missiles and Fire Control business. "TSS technology has been combat-proven as the Q-39 fire control system for the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command AC-130U Gunship and as part of the Harvest HAWK configuration for the KC-130J."

The Naval Surface Warfare Center awarded the initial TSS production contract in March 2008, followed by a second production contract in June 2010. Lockheed Martin delivered the first TSS in June 2009, and recently began early delivery of low-rate initial production units. Production is expected to continue through 2018. TSS is produced at facilities in Ocala and Orlando, Fla.

TSS is one of several high-performance stabilized targeting systems designed, manufactured, tested and supported by Lockheed Martin. The company's fielded solutions for fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft include the Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor for the U.S. Army, the Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod for the U.S. Air Force and the AN/AAQ-39 targeting system for the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command.

08:32 GMT, February 17, 2012 OSHKOSH, Wis. | Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, will deliver more than 140 Logistics Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR) cargo trucks and nearly 70 LVSR tractors for the U.S. Marine Corps following an order from the U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command. The LVSR was first fielded in Afghanistan in 2009 and has quickly proven itself as the Marines’ new heavy-payload platform, delivering improvements in mobility, protection and performance.

"Our ongoing commitment to internal innovation at Oshkosh allows us to design, upgrade and sustain highly advanced vehicles like the LVSR and ensure military fleets remain in sync with evolving challenges in theater," said John Bryant, vice president and general manager of Joint and Marine Corps Programs for Oshkosh Defense. "The LVSR’s advanced design allows it to accept protection upgrades and perform missions that are above and beyond what the original vehicle requirements called for."

The LVSR cargo variant is used in even the most challenging terrain to transport a wide range of supplies and materials, including ammunition, fuel containers, bridging equipment, flatracks and ISO containers. The LVSR tractor variant is designed to haul combat vehicles, semi-trailers and other equipment. It has a fifth-wheel vertical-loading capacity of 25.3 tons and a recovery winch with a 30-ton capacity.

The LVSR is produced in three variants – cargo, wrecker and tractor – and is used in tandem with the medium-payload, Oshkosh-built Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR). The LVSR is equipped with the Oshkosh Command Zone embedded diagnostics system to provide real-time performance feedback on major vehicle systems, including the engine, transmission and brakes. The vehicle also uses the company’s patented TAK-4 independent suspension system for off-road mobility in severe landscapes.

The order is valued at more than $94 million and work is expected to be completed in September 2013. Oshkosh to date has received orders for more than 2,000 LVSRs.

“Current tactics, techniques and procedures used by the fleet are severely limited by the time required for aircrew to go on oxygen, depressurize the aircraft and lower the cargo ramp prior to firing standoff precision guided munitions,” said Capt. Michelle Guidry, program manager, Tactical Airlift, Adversary and Support Aircraft program (PMA-207). “The Derringer door removes these steps from the firing process and provides the Marine Corps with greater tactical agility.”

Currently deployed Harvest HAWK equipped KC-130Js use a 10-round, common launch-tube system mounted on the cargo ramp. In this configuration, the aircraft must depressurize to employ Griffin missiles and the entire system must be removed to perform cargo operations.

“The Derringer door and storage rack do not interfere with the KC-130J cargo system and provide the fleet with greater flexibility to perform a wide range of missions,” said Chuck Gill, Harvest HAWK integrated product team lead for PMA-207. Marine Aerial Refueling Transport Squadron (VMGR) 352 Harvest HAWK aircraft 167110 underwent modifications and flight testing for the Derringer door system in late 2011. Additional testing to support fleet use will take place in March 2012.

Changes to the aircraft for the Derringer door modification included the installation of two vertically oriented, standoff precision-guided munitions tubes, a common launch-tube storage rack for 10 standoff precision-guided munitions and battle-management system upgrades.

Harvest HAWK is a modular roll-on, roll-off weapons system, which also includes a fire-control console, in the aircraft’s cargo compartment, where fire-control officers monitor and control the weapons and surveillance systems; an AN/AAQ-30 target sight system with infrared and electro-optic sensors mounted in the left underwing fuel tank; a launcher for four Hellfire missiles mounted in place of the left-hand air-to-air refueling pylon; and the Derringer door system for a 10-shot Griffin standoff precision-guided munitions launcher.

“Like the rest of the Harvest HAWK weapon system, the fleet can very quickly install or remove the Derringer door and its weapons rack,” Gill said.

The first KC-130J Harvest HAWK kit deployed with VMGR-352 in October 2010. The Marine Corps has accepted delivery of three kits and expects delivery of three additional kits in the first half of fiscal year 2013.

The KC-130J platform serves the U.S. Marine Corps by providing air-to-air refueling; cargo and troop transportation and airborne delivery; medical evacuation; and battlefield illumination. A KC-130J equipped with Harvest HAWK maintains the traditional KC-130 capabilities, while adding the capability to conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and air-to-ground close air support missions.

“When you’re in theater, time is everything,” Guidry said. “Our Harvest HAWK crews will now be able to provide close air support faster than ever, which gives the troops on the ground the added support they need.”

Future KC-130J Harvest HAWK designated aircraft will be able to receive modifications necessary for the Derringer door system to be used when needed.

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - A century after 1st Lt. Alfred A. Cunningham took his first flight in 1912, Marine Corps aviation introduced the F-35B Lightning II aircraft into its fleet. The short takeoff vertical landing variant combined with fifth generation capabilities is a breakthrough in itself, matching the importance of the first Marine aviator and starting a new chapter in Marine Corps aviation history.

Gen. Joseph Dunford, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, stated at the rollout ceremony that for the first time in aviation history, the most lethal fighter characteristics came together on a single platform. A list of the aircraft's abilities include supersonic speed, radar-evading stealth, extreme agility and short takeoff vertical landing capability.

"It's innovation like that represented here today which has kept Marine aviation ready and relevant for the last 100 years," said Dunford.

The new aircraft was on display at the VMFAT-501 hangar for military leaders, government officials and other guests to view.

VMFAT-501 will also be the first Marine Corps unit to begin training for and with the F-35B. Eglin has already constructed the F-35 Academic Training Center and in the near future will begin training, throughout all military branches, maintainers and pilots on the aircraft.

"501 is on the forefront of one of the most significant transition periods Marine aviation has ever known," said Dunford. "Certainly one of the most important in a long time. Maybe since the introduction of the helicopter."

"We are trying not to waste the time we've been given," said Col. Arthur Tomassetti, the vice commander of the 33rd Fighter Wing, which is responsible for pilot and maintainer training on the F-35 A, B and C models. "We hope that people will be pleased and proud to see the time we've been given to prepare operational readiness has been used to the advantage."

Tomassetti said that VMFAT-501 was approaching the training for the aircraft with a crawl-walk-run approach, and were currently between crawl and walk. He explained the importance of taking their time learning the aircraft and feeding off the constructive feedback from outside sources.

"We could accelerate training," said Tomassetti. "But then we might miss things. It's better to just get it right the first time."

Maj. Gen. Jon Davis, the commanding general of 2nd MAW, said that today was a very exciting day for the Marine Corps and it's been 60 years in the making. Davis explained that the aircraft means something for more than just the wing side but it is there for the infantrymen as well.

"Thank you all for being witness to this historic event," said Dunford. "Know that the spirit of innovation within Marine aviation is alive and well and lives on today in every Marine before you. It will continue to live on here with the Warlords of VMFAT-501 as it has in every clime and place for the last 100 years of Marine aviation. May the next 100 be as memorable."

U.S. Congressman Jeff Miller, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Joseph Dunford and Chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin Robert Stevens watch as Marine color guard retire the colors during the national anthem at the Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II roll out ceremony Feb. 24 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

Major Mike Rountree, (C) a marine fighter attack training officer, shows naval flight students a U.S. Marine F-35B Joint Strike Fighter Jet during a roll-out ceremony at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, February 24, 2012. The B model of the new single-engine, supersonic fighter jet can take off from shorter runways and can hover and land like a helicopter, according to a military statement. Picture taken February 24, 2012.

Recon Scout XT throwable micro-robot for dismounted troops. (Image: ReconRobotics) 08:05 GMT, March 15, 2012 EDINA, Minn. | ReconRobotics, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded a $1.7 million contract for 126 Recon Scout XT micro-robot kits from the Robotic Systems Joint Project Office (RS JPO) on behalf of the U.S. Marine Corps. This is the largest Marine Corps order in the company’s history, and it follows four U.S. Army orders placed in the last six months totaling more than 1,800 micro-robots. ReconRobotics plans to complete deliveries on this latest order by April 30, 2012.

Driving this series of orders are soldier requirements for throwable micro-robot systems that are much smaller and easier to deploy than the 30- to 60-lb Small Unmanned Ground Vehicles (SUGVs) that were widely used over the last decade. Unlike the SUGV, the 1.2-lb (540g) Recon Scout XT micro-robot is deployed at the fire-team level – i.e., one robot for every four to five soldiers – to provide situational awareness and standoff distance as the team clears compounds, investigates suspected IEDs, or searches attics, culverts and crawl spaces. The XT can thrown up to 120 feet (36m) and can see in complete darkness. Once deployed, the robot can quietly move through an environment and transmit video reconnaissance through walls and doors to a small handheld operator control unit while the solider remains in protective cover.

"The XT is sublimely small, simple and durable, and it has been proven to provide tremendous lifesaving capability without materially increasing the soldier’s burden,” said Ernest Langdon, Director of Military Programs for ReconRobotics. "We could not be more proud about this opportunity to equip our Marines as they conduct their operations in active combat theatres.”

The Recon Scout XT is a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) product that is also used by nearly 400 law enforcement agencies during high-risk tactical operations such as hostage rescues, barricaded subject situations and narcotics raids.

The U.S. Marine Corps said on Wednesday it would cut four infantry battalions and 12 flying squadrons over the next five years as it shrinks by 20,000 personnel to meet budget constraints and peacetime needs after more than a decade of war.

The biggest cuts would fall on Marine Corps bases in North Carolina, with Camp Lejeune and the adjacent New River air base losing 5,800 personnel and Cherry Point air base losing another 2,100. Three California Marine bases—Camp Pendleton, 29 Palms and Miramar—would lose a total of 6,000 personnel.

Harris Receives $64 M from USMC for Falcon III Multiband Manpack Radio SystemsHarris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company, has received orders totaling $64 million from the U.S. Marine Corps for its Falcon III® AN/PRC-117G multiband manpack radios, vehicular amplifier adapters, antennas and field support. The AN/PRC-117G radios and vehicular systems will provide Marine forces with voice and mobile wideband data communications for expeditionary missions.

The AN/PRC-117G is a part of the Falcon III wideband radio family that delivers unprecedented situational awareness on the battlefield. Software-defined and upgradeable, the AN/PRC-117G provides users with high-performance voice and high-bandwidth data communications. The radio supports emerging combat applications such as streaming video, collaborative chat and other applications. The Falcon III family also includes the NSA Type-1 certified AN/PRC-152A wideband handheld radio.

"The AN/PRC-117G is delivering transformational communication capabilities to the Marine Corps by enabling on-the-move transmission of voice, video and data across the battlefield," said George Helm, president, Department of Defense business, Harris RF Communications. "Our radio systems enable highly mobile forces to stay connected and networked no matter where they are on the battlefield. The AN/PRC-117G also offers flexibility and upgradeability to support ongoing tactical radio modernization."

The AN/PRC-117G is the first JTRS Software Communications Architecture-certified and NSA Type-1 certified wideband manpack radio system. With its fully integrated and NSA-certified High Assurance Internet Protocol Equipment (HAIPE) networking encryption, the AN/PRC-117G provides the highest level of information assurance to tactical units.

More than 16,000 AN/PRC-117G radio systems have been deployed by the U.S. DoD and allies such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, other NATO nations and Australia. The radio was developed following the JTRS Enterprise Business Model (EBM). The EBM encourages companies to develop next-generation solutions in tactical communications using their own investment capital to integrate JTRS waveform software. In doing so, the EBM stimulates competition, increases innovation, and reduces cost through software re-use.

Aviators from the U.S. Marine Corps completed the Initial Operational Test and Evaluation phase of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) program, firing rounds against stationary and moving targets.

The APKWS – the U.S. government’s only program of record for the semi-active laser-guided 2.75-inch rocket – is expected to be operational in Afghanistan in March.

In the final series of test shots, the laser-guided rockets were fired from a variety of distances from Marine AH-1W and UH-1Y helicopters in scenarios that are expected to be encountered in theater.

“APKWS is a highly effective and affordable weapon that will allow aviators to complete their missions while minimizing the risk of harm to allies and non-combatants,” said Captain Brian Corey, program manager, PMA-242. “We are looking forward to bringing APKWS forward to our Marines in combat.”

The APKWS is a low-cost, low-yield weapon alternative to other air-launched munitions currently in the inventory. The system transforms a standard 2.75-inch unguided rocket into a smart, highly precise laser-guided missile that is effective against soft and lightly armored targets while causing minimal collateral damage.

“APKWS has successfully completed more than 80 shots in the past few months,” said John Watkins, director of Missile & Munitions Solutions for BAE Systems in Nashua, New Hampshire, where the mid-body guidance section is built. “This testing is the culmination of a highly successful development effort among BAE Systems, our partners and suppliers, and the U.S. government. These shots demonstrate that APKWS will make a difference in allowing aviators to do their jobs and come home safely."

The APKWS is an “unpack and shoot” system, Watkins said. Because it uses standard rocket launchers, APKWS requires no platform integration or aircraft modifications, and because it is loaded and fired just like a standard 2.75-inch rocket, very little aviator or ordnance crew training is required. Its design enables the use of existing warheads, fuzes, and rocket motors that currently exist in the inventory.

The APKWS has been demonstrated off Marine AH-1W and UH-1Y helos as well as Army Kiowa and light fixed-wing attack aircraft. It can be fired from any rotary-wing aircraft that can launch 2.75-inch rockets, to include the UH-1 Huey and AH-64 Apache. The Navy is also looking to integrate the APKWS – in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force – on fixed-wing AV-8B and A-10 aircraft, as well as the Fire Scout UAS.

The Navy assumed acquisition executive oversight of the program in 2008 and has fully funded it for production. BAE Systems has achieved its monthly delivery rate and more than 400 production systems have been accepted into the Navy inventory under the designation WGU-59/B. BAE Systems has been the APKWS prime contractor since 2006.

V-22 Morocco Crash Latest in Program Expert Says Should Have Been Stopped

A V-22 Osprey crashed during a training exercise in Morocco yesterday, killing two U.S. Marines and severely injuring two others. The cause of this particular accident is unknown, but some crashes in the past have involved a dangerous flying condition of which the V-22 is prone to experience. The Morocco crash brings the total number of fatalities from V-22 accidents to 36. Of those fatalities, all but four have taken place during training exercises—not in combat zones—and the lion’s share of those training exercise deaths occurred in one notorious accident.

The V-22, which takes off and lands like a helicopter but flies like a plane, had its first flight in 1989 (there are two similar variants of the V-22 in use—the Marine Corps MV-22 and the Air Force CV-22). The program is expected to cost taxpayers around $57 billion, and has been beset by cost overruns and schedule delays, fueled in part by its technical problems and the challenges the design poses. Regarding the latter, as we wrote in 2005, the V-22’s unique design characteristics mean it “can’t auto rotate to a safe landing…lacks the ability to perform quick evasive combat maneuvers under fire, and can’t descend too quickly or it will go into a dangerous roll.”

Since its inception, there have been five fatal crashes, as well as other nonfatal ones. A notable crash in April 2000, which killed 19 Marines during a nighttime training exercise in Arizona, is still being investigated by Representative Walter Jones (R-NC). Although the Department of Navy and the Marine Corps maintain that the crash was due to pilot error, those familiar to the accident believe it was the fault of the V-22’s “vortex ring state.” Jones is fighting to clear the pilots’ names.

There was another fatal crash in December 2000 that led to the Marine Corps grounding its fleet of V-22 Ospreys, but flights resumed in 2002.

To see a timeline of notable V-22 crashes after the jump, please go to http://goo.gl/EmkXN.

As Time Magazine’s Battleland reported, the Morocco crash is the first fatal MV-22 crash since 2000—however; there was a fatal CV-22 crash in Afghanistan in 2010 which should not be discounted from the V-22’s crash record. The CV-22 is the special forces version of the V-22 and is very similar except for extra fuel tanks and radar equipment. There was serious controversy over the accident report of the 2010 crash. Investigator Brig. Gen. Donald Harvel, who concluded that engine failure was the cause of the accident, told Air Force Times that “there was absolutely a lot of pressure to change my report.” The Air Force ultimately overruled Harvel’s conclusion, alluding to pilot error as the cause. According to Danger Room, the changed report represented growing evidence that “the military is deliberately obscuring the truth regarding the V-22?s ongoing safety woes.”

Tom Christie, the Pentagon’s former Director of Test and Evaluation, told POGO that as far as he’s concerned, the V-22 program should never have been allowed to get this far. Christie said:

“I have no idea what happened [in Morocco], but the V-22 has a fundamental design problem [the vortex ring state] that pilots have to work around, and that problem has existed since day one. You can use operational procedures to prevent the problem from happening, but it’s difficult in certain kinds of combat scenarios not to get into that situation. The military is not about to scrap the V-22 program now—we’ve bought them already—but the program should not have been allowed to come to this point.”

(For notes and references, please visit the original site of this article at http://goo.gl/EmkXN)

FORT WORTH, Texas, May 10, 2012 – Two Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) production aircraft were ferried to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., today, marking the 24th and 25th F-35 deliveries to the Department of Defense. The 5th Generation multirole fighter jets were delivered to the United States Marine Corps and are now assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s Marine Fighter/Attack Squadron 501 residing with the host 33d Fighter Wing.

U.S. Marine Corps pilots Maj. Joseph Bachmann and Lt. Col. Matt Kelly pilotedthe aircraft, known as BF-9 and BF-10 respectively, which departed Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas at 1:26 p.m. and 1:42 p.m. CDT for an approximate 90-minute flight to Florida’s Emerald Coast. The jets became the 10th and 11th F-35s to join Eglin’s fleet. Both jets will be used for pilot and maintainer training at the F-35 Integrated Training Center there.

One additional STOVL production jet, BF-11, will join the fleet at Eglin in the coming days. All three jets were formally accepted by the U.S. Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) on behalf of the Marine Corps with the signing of Department of Defense Form 250 (DD-250). BF-9 and BF-10 were accepted May 4 while BF-11 was accepted May 5. Prior to acceptance, the three F-35Bs underwent a series of company and government checkout flights at Lockheed Martin’s F-35 production facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th Generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment. Three distinct variants of the F-35 will replace the A-10 and F-16 for the U.S. Air Force, the F/A-18 for the U.S. Navy, the F/A-18 and AV-8B Harrier for the U.S. Marine Corps, and a variety of fighters for at least nine other countries.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 123,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's net sales for 2011 were $46.5 billion.

LITENING G4 is Part of the LITENING Family, Which Has Achieved More Than 1.5 Million Flight Hours

13:51 GMT, May 15, 2012 ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. | Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a delivery order by the Naval Air Systems Command totaling $103 million to deliver LITENING G4 targeting systems.

An infographic accompanying this release is available at: http://goo.gl/OQGRu (PDF 1.8MB, 1 page).

Under the terms of the award, Northrop Grumman will supply the U.S. Marine Corps with LITENING G4 pods. The company will also provide G4 upgrade kits and spares to the Air National Guard to bring their Block 1 pods to the G4 configuration.

"This order represents the latest vote of confidence from our users that G4's cutting edge technology supports their most demanding combat missions," said Jim Mocarski, Northrop Grumman's vice president of EO/IR targeting systems. "LITENING's achievement of 1.5 million flight hours is a testament to its reliability, flexible upgrade path and adaptability to multiple missions."

Northrop Grumman has delivered more than 200 LITENING G4 systems to date. The LITENING G4 Advanced Targeting Pod is the newest addition to the company's LITENING family of targeting pods, delivering the latest advancements in sensor, laser imaging and data link technology. The G4's technologies include a full 1Kx1K forward looking infrared and charge-coupled device, as well as short wave infrared laser imaging sensors, color symbology, tracker improvement and enhanced zoom. These advancements deliver more accurate target identification and location at longer ranges than previous generations of LITENING targeting pod systems while reducing pilot workload.

Combat brigade will be drafted to Pentagon's Africa Command to send soldiers to countries around the continent.

US marines are already in Uganda offering training and support to Ugandan and African Union soldiers [AFP]

The US army has said a combat brigade will be assigned to the Pentagon's Africa Command next year in a pilot programme that will send small teams of soldiers to countries around the continent to do training and participate in military exercises.

General Ray Odierno, the army's chief of staff, says the plan is part of a new effort to provide US commanders around the globe with troops on a rotational basis to meet the military needs of their regions.

This pilot programme sends troops to an area that has become a greater priority for the Obama administration since it includes several nations from where it perceives an increasing threat to the US and the region.

Odierno says a brigade from the 10th Mountain Division will take on the new task.

Already US special forces have begun providing training and logistical support to Ugandan soldiers hunting Joseph Kony, leader of the Lords Resistance Army.

Military advisers are also in Uganda to draw lessons learned from Iraq and Afghanistan to help train African Union soldiers to fight Somalia's al-Shabab group.

NORFOLK, Va. — The Marine Corps is taking steps to procure its first “kamikaze” drone in an effort to provide small units the ability to quickly strike soft targets such as IED emplacement teams.

The Switchblade, produced by California-based AeroVironment, can be guided into a target and explode on impact, almost like a hand grenade, said company spokesman Steven Gitlin.

“For the first time they will have their own organic ability to engage targets [with a UAV],” he said.

Units that identify potential targets typically have to call for air support, a multistep process.

Enemies often slip away by the time an armed unmanned aerial vehicle, attack helicopter, fighter-bomber or quick-reaction force arrive on station. Marines also compete with other allied units for mission priority or those taking enemy fire, so missions are not always filled.

“Think about it — pairing switchblade aerial munitions with an [unmanned surveillance drone like a] Raven, Wasp or Puma — a small team with those tools can know what is going on around them within about 15 klicks,” Gitlin said. “Once they identify a threat, Switchblade lets them engage that threat immediately.”

The Marine Corps Warfighting Lab is leading research into the aircraft’s potential to serve with Marine units. The aircraft showed promise during recent testing at Fort Pickett, Va., according to Brig. Gen. Mark Wise, head of the lab.

He characterized the aircraft as highly accurate.

“The Marine who was flying it, it was his eighth flight. So if you want to talk about intuitive capabilities, those are the kinds of things we are starting to generate,” Wise told a crowd of defense industry representatives May 1 at a conference in Norfolk, Va.

The Switchblade, weighing just 5.5 pounds, can fit into an ALICE or similar pack. When needed, a single Marine can pull it from his pack, set up a small tube containing the aircraft and automatically launch it with a remote controller. It can take flight from the ground, a vehicle, ship or aircraft. After being fired from the tube, the Switchblade’s four wings spring open — lending the aircraft its name — the prop begins spinning, and it is off with a one-way ticket.

Once a target is designated and a kill order is given, the aircraft locks in on the target and follows, even if the target moves.

Designed with low collateral damage in mind, the aircraft can also be called off at the last minute and re-engage later, Gitlin said. If the target is a sniper, for example, and children wander into the area, Switchblade can disengage and reacquire the target once civilians have moved on.

Another advantage of the Switchblade is that it uses a controller common with several of the Marine Corps’ other UAVs also produced by AeroVironment. That includes the Shadow, Wasp and Raven, a capability that matches the service’s efforts to develop a single remote control that will cut down on the weight and amount of equipment Marines carry into combat.

The need for faster reaction by armed UAVs also has led the Marine Corps to push for arming the RQ-7 Shadow. The Corps has aggressively pursued an 18-month timeline to field Shadows downrange that can carry small munitions of up to 25 pounds after commanders in Afghanistan issued an urgent-needs statement last June.

But Marines calling on the Shadow still must rely on unmanned squadrons for support. With Switchblade, they can identify targets, launch and engage on their own.

The Army, also pursuing Switchblade, awarded AeroVironment a $4.9 million contract in September and plans to send soldiers to Afghanistan with the aircraft this year.

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – U.S. Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Fred Schenk flies a mission May 10 in F-35B Joint Strike Fighter test aircraft BF-1. The mission expanded the aircraft’s flight envelope in short takeoff and vertical landing mode, and was the 200th flight for the aircraft. The F-35B is the variant of the Joint Strike Fighter for the U.S. Marine Corps, capable of short take-offs and vertical landings for use on amphibious ships or expeditionary airfields to provide air power to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. The F-35B is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to delivery to the fleet. (Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin)

PARIS, June 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Marine Corps successfully fired two Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) Excalibur 155mm precision-guided artillery projectiles from a range of 36 kilometers (22.3 statute miles) in theater. These shots mark the longest distance the Excalibur round has been fired in combat since its fielding in 2007.

"It is incredible to think about how this capability has evolved with its use over time, and these shots are evidence of that," said Lt. Col. Mike Milner, U.S. Army Excalibur product manager. "We are continually improving Excalibur's use in theater."

With more than 500 rounds fired in theater to date, Excalibur is the revolutionary family of precision projectiles for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps artillery. The Marines have significantly increased the operational use of Excalibur in the last year, firing as many as 32 rounds in one week. By integrating Excalibur into close-combat formations, U.S. forces avoid collateral damage even when warfighters are in close proximity to the target.

"Having true precision artillery that can defeat the targets – and from such a great distance – gives our warfighters the ability to engage these targets that would otherwise be out of reach," said Michelle Lohmeier, vice president of Land Combat Systems at Raytheon Missile Systems. "Raytheon developed and fielded the world's first extended-range GPS-guided artillery, and we are proud of the unprecedented precision capability Excalibur gives our warfighters."